An album which feels like the culmination of all the artistry and talent the Stones had been honing and refining over time. No longer a pale simulacrum of the blues rock they love so much - here, the years of practice and craft and homage coalesce into a truly remarkable rock 'n' roll record, authentic sounding, brilliant playing. Endlessly rewarding and without a radio friendly hit in sight, 'Happy' getting closest but a Richards-on-vocals never likely to convince the masses - but brilliant nevertheless. The Jagger/Richards dynamic never sounded so good as it does here.